Benedict Cumberbatch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Benedict Cumberbatch
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Cumberbatch at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Born |
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch
19 July 1976 Hammersmith, London, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1998–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Sophie Hunter
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 3 |
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| Relatives |
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| Awards | Full list |
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. He is well-known for his roles in movies, TV shows, and plays. He has won many awards, including a British Academy Television Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. He was also nominated for two Academy Awards.
In 2014, Time magazine said he was one of the 100 most important people in the world. In 2015, he received a special honor called a CBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace. This was for his great work in acting and for his charity efforts.
Cumberbatch studied acting at the Victoria University of Manchester and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He started his career in Shakespeare plays. Later, he performed in London's West End. He starred in plays like Frankenstein, for which he won an award. In 2015, he played Hamlet in a famous production.
On TV, Cumberbatch played Stephen Hawking in the film Hawking (2004). He became very famous for playing Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock (2010–2017). For this role, he won an Emmy Award. He also won an award for his role in the miniseries Patrick Melrose (2018).
In movies, Cumberbatch has played many different characters. He was Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). He also appeared in historical films like 12 Years a Slave (2013) and 1917 (2019). He was praised for his roles as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game (2014) and in The Power of the Dog (2021). From 2012 to 2014, he used his voice and motion capture to play Smaug and Sauron in The Hobbit film series. Since 2016, he has played Dr. Stephen Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, including Doctor Strange (2016).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Family History
Benedict Cumberbatch's family has a long history. His ancestors owned land in Barbados in the 1700s. These properties used enslaved people for work. When slavery was ended, his ancestors received money as compensation. This was part of a law passed in 1837.
Some people today are discussing if families whose ancestors benefited from slavery should help pay back for the past. Benedict Cumberbatch has said that by the time he was born, most of this old family money was gone. He grew up in a "definitely middle class" family.
His great-great-grandfather, Robert William Cumberbatch, was a British consul in Turkey and Russia. His grandfather, Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, was a submarine officer in both World Wars.
Cumberbatch is also a distant cousin of King Richard III. He even played King Richard III in the TV series The Hollow Crown. He attended Richard III's reburial ceremony in 2015 and read a poem.
Childhood and School
Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born on 19 July 1976. He was born in Hammersmith, London. His parents, Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, were both actors. He grew up in Kensington and Chelsea. He has a half-sister named Tracy Peacock.
Cumberbatch went to boarding schools from age eight. He attended Brambletye and then Harrow School. At Harrow, he was part of the drama club. He acted in many Shakespearean plays. His first acting role was as Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream when he was 12. His drama teacher said he was "the best schoolboy actor" they had ever worked with.
College and Acting School
After Harrow, Cumberbatch took a year off. He volunteered as an English teacher at a Tibetan monastery in Darjeeling, India.
Then, he went to the Victoria University of Manchester. There, he studied drama.
He continued his acting training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He earned a master's degree in classical acting. In 2018, Cumberbatch became the president of LAMDA.
Performing Arts Career
Theatre Roles
Since 2001, Cumberbatch has had many important roles in classic plays. He performed at famous theatres like the Royal National Theatre. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for his role in Hedda Gabler in 2005. This play was his first performance in London's West End.
In 2010, Cumberbatch starred in After the Dance. This play was very successful. In 2011, he played both Victor Frankenstein and his creature in Frankenstein. He won several awards for this role, including the Olivier Award.
In 2013, he performed in 50 Years on Stage. This was a special event for the Royal National Theatre's 50th anniversary. In 2015, Cumberbatch returned to the theatre to play Shakespeare's Hamlet. He received another Olivier Award nomination for this role.
Television Roles
Cumberbatch's early TV roles included guest spots in shows like Heartbeat. In 2004, he got his first main TV role. He played Stephen Hawking in the film Hawking. He won an award for this performance.
In 2010, Cumberbatch began playing Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock. This role made him very famous. He won an Emmy Award for his acting in Sherlock. Fans of the show are known as 'Cumberbitches'.
In 2012, he starred in the miniseries Parade's End. He was nominated for another Emmy Award for this role. In 2016, Cumberbatch played Richard III in The Hollow Crown. He also starred in Patrick Melrose in 2018. In 2019, he appeared as Dominic Cummings in the TV film Brexit: The Uncivil War.
Film Roles
In 2006, Cumberbatch played William Pitt the Younger in Amazing Grace. In 2007, he had a small part in Atonement. He also appeared in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) and Creation (2009).
In 2012, Cumberbatch provided the voice and motion-capture for Smaug the Dragon. He also played the Necromancer in The Hobbit film series. He used special markers to show the dragon's expressions.
In 2013, Cumberbatch played Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness. He also starred in The Fifth Estate, playing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He was in 12 Years a Slave and August: Osage County. For the latter, he even sang a song.
He voiced a character in Penguins of Madagascar (2014). He then starred as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game (2014). This role earned him nominations for major awards like the Academy Award.
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Since 2016, Cumberbatch has played Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He appeared in Doctor Strange, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He also voiced the title character in The Grinch (2018). In 2019, he had a brief role in the World War I film 1917.
In 2021, Cumberbatch starred in The Power of the Dog. His performance was highly praised, and he received many award nominations. He also played artist Louis Wain in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.
Cumberbatch will star in Wes Anderson's film The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023).
Radio Work
Cumberbatch enjoys working in radio. He has done many shows for the BBC. He played Young Rumpole in adaptations of John Mortimer's novels. From 2008 to 2014, he played Captain Martin Crieff in the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure. He also voiced the Angel Islington in Neverwhere.
In 2014, he read original BBC radio news reports from June 1944 for the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
Narration
Cumberbatch has narrated many documentaries for channels like National Geographic. He has also read several audiobooks, including Casanova and Sherlock Holmes stories. He has done voice-overs for commercials for brands like Jaguar and Google+.
For the 2012 London Olympics, he was in a short film about London's history. In 2013, he narrated the documentary film Jerusalem about the ancient city. He also narrated Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at His Feet in 2014.
Music
In 2016, Cumberbatch sang on stage with Pink Floyd member David Gilmour. He sang lead vocals on the song "Comfortably Numb" during a concert in London.
Impressions
Cumberbatch is very good at imitating other people. He has been called the "New King of Celebrity Impressionists." He has imitated celebrities like Alan Rickman, Sean Connery, Jack Nicholson, and Chewbacca on TV shows.
Production Company
In 2013, Cumberbatch started a production company called SunnyMarch Ltd. Their first project was a short film called Little Favour. In 2022, they began filming The End We Start From, a movie based on a novel.
Other Activities
Charity Work
Cumberbatch is an ambassador for The Prince's Trust. He supports groups that use arts to help young people. He is also a patron for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. He did the Ice Bucket Challenge for them in 2014.
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In 2014, he presented awards to young people with Prince Philip. He also joined Prince William to raise money for cancer research. Cumberbatch has designed a Sherlock Holmes-themed Paddington Bear statue. This was auctioned to raise money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
In 2015, Cumberbatch spoke out about the migrant crisis. He asked for donations to help Save The Children and Syrian refugees. He raised over £150,000 from his theatre audiences.
In 2020, Cumberbatch was one of ten celebrities who read parts of Roald Dahl's novel James and the Giant Peach. These readings helped raise money for a charity fighting COVID-19.
Politics and Activism
Cumberbatch has supported protests for peace and human rights. He has spoken about protecting the arts from budget cuts.
He supports LGBT+ rights. In 2013, he even officiated at the same-sex marriage of his friends. He also identifies as a feminist.
In 2016, Cumberbatch was one of many artists who supported the United Kingdom staying in the European Union.
Awards and Honours
Cumberbatch was appointed a CBE in 2015. This honor was for his services to acting and charity. He received it from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
In 2016, Cumberbatch became a visiting fellow at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.
Public Image and Recognition
Cumberbatch became famous worldwide with the TV series Sherlock in 2010. He has been called "The Thinking Woman's Crumpet". He has also been listed among attractive celebrities by magazines.
In 2012, Cumberbatch talked about a cyberstalking incident. Someone was tweeting his movements in his home. He said it was "an ongoing process" to deal with it.
In 2013, Tatler magazine listed him as one of the "Most Fascinating People in Britain." Entertainment Weekly called him one of the "50 Coolest and Most Creative Entertainers." He has appeared on the covers of magazines like GQ and Time.
In 2014, The Sunday Times called him "this generation's Laurence Olivier." Film critic Roger Friedman said Cumberbatch might be the closest thing to a real descendant of Sir Laurence Olivier.
In April 2014, Time magazine included him in its annual Time 100 list. This list features the Most Influential People in the World. A play called Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die premiered in 2014. Despite its title, it was a "love letter" to the actor.
A wax figure of Cumberbatch has been at Madame Tussauds London since 2014. In 2018, PETA named him one of the Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities.
Personal Life
In 2005, while in South Africa, Cumberbatch and two friends were kidnapped. Their car tire burst, and they were held at gunpoint. They were later set free without harm. Cumberbatch said this experience taught him to "live a life less ordinary."
He follows Buddhist philosophy. He enjoys meditation and mindfulness.
Cumberbatch was in a long relationship with actress Olivia Poulet until 2010.
Cumberbatch is married to English theatre director Sophie Hunter. They announced their engagement in 2014 after being friends for 17 years. They married on 14 February 2015, on the Isle of Wight. They have three sons.
See also
In Spanish: Benedict Cumberbatch para niños
